UN Chief: Hospitals Must Be Kept Free of Combat

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed condemnation on Thursday regarding the IDF’s actions at a hospital in Khan Yunis, although he did not acknowledge that Hamas had been utilizing the hospital as a base for terrorist activities.

“We reiterate once again that hospitals must be kept free of combat, must not be subject to any sort of military action, any type of military action on a hospital must be condemned,” Guterres said through his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric.

Discussing the IDF’s activities at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari presented footage from the interrogation of a Hamas operative. The operative confessed that numerous Hamas members had sought refuge in the hospital during the conflict and that hostages were being held, numbering at least ten.

Hagari emphasized that IDF operations within hospitals are not arbitrary. He clarified that the presence of approximately 400 non-combatant patients at Nasser Hospital underscored the deliberate choice of Hamas and Jihad operatives to seek shelter there following their violent actions.

Based on interrogation reports and recurring testimonies, Hagari asserted that hostages had been detained on the hospital premises previously. Additionally, there was intelligence indicating that hostage remains were concealed within the hospital complex.

Guterres has consistently voiced criticism towards Israel’s engagements with Hamas in Gaza, particularly in response to the events of the October 7 massacre.

In one instance, he suggested that Hamas’ aggression against Israel was not isolated and seemed to assign some blame to Israel for the situation.

Following widespread condemnation of his statements, Guterres clarified that his remarks had been misinterpreted and affirmed that he had indeed condemned Hamas’ actions.

Just recently, the UN Secretary-General faced inquiries from Channel 12 News correspondent Yuna Leibzon regarding his persistent allegations of Israel employing “collective punishment” in Gaza.

When pressed by Leibzon about his reaction if faced with a terrorist organization perpetrating a deadly attack against his people, Guterres expressed reservations about the conduct of military operations.

In response to Leibzon’s observation regarding Hamas’ use of civilian populations as shields, Guterres reiterated his condemnation of this tactic. He emphasized that while international humanitarian law prohibits the use of human shields, it also mandates the protection of civilians, indicating adherence to these principles without bias.

{Matzav.com Israel}